Ties That Bind
by platinumblind
Summary: After much deliberation, AJ Styles decided to abandon his long-time friend and partner Christian Cage, and sided with Kurt Angle. But was his decision the right one? AJ/Christian, SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Ties That Bind

**Fandom:** TNA

**Characters:** AJ Styles, Christian Cage, Kurt Angle, Karen Angle, Tomko

**Synopsis:** After much deliberation, AJ decided to abandon his long-time friend and partner Christian Cage, and sided with Kurt Angle. But was his decision the right one?

**Dedications:** My wonderful friend Penny, as always. I love ya lotsly!

**Disclaimer:** Kurt Angle, Karen Angle, Travis Tomko, Jason Reso & Allen Jones are [unfortunately not owned by me, they own themselves. As for their wrestling alter egos, well, I don't own them either – they are copyright to TNA.

**A/N:** Right, so here goes! My attempt to write an AJ/Christian fic that isn't a standalone! …actually, this was originally just going to be a one-shot, but I wrote and wrote and then I realised it was too long to just be a one-shot. So I'm splitting it up into chapters. It's still a WIP (work in progress); so don't get too mad at me if I take a while to update. Oh, and I know the first chapter's going to be rather short. The second one will more than make up for it though, promise! Let me also explain that this is slightly AU. I actually started writing this before Final Resolution happened, hence why it's a little different to what actually happened at the PPV, and what happened on the episode of iMPACT that came after it, etc. Right, I'm gonna stop talking and let you guys just start reading now, heh!

* * *

**Chapter One**

Thursday night. iMPACT night. The self-proclaimed 'Phenomenal One' was sat in his dressing room, eyes transfixed on the television in the corner, feeling almost sick with nervousness as he heard his name come out of the mouth of the angry man on the television screen. Christian Cage.

For just about three minutes, AJ had watched intently as Christian stood in the centre of the ring, microphone in hand, ranting about everything that had happened to him the night before.

To put it matter-of-factly, he'd been _screwed. _Screwed out of his opportunity to win back the title that he never actually lost.Stabbed in the back and hurt by someone he'd trusted as a partner for so long. Sure, Christian could be an asshole – but nobody ever deserved to have that happen to them. And besides, at least Christian had been a good friend, a good partner. He could be selfish at times, but at least he knew how to show some sort of selflessness, some compassion to the people he cared about.

But AJ had shoved away all the compassion he'd ever received from Christian when he took that steel chair from Kurt's hands, and let it meet with the back of Christian's head…

…AJ attempted to push these guilt-ridden thoughts into the back of his mind, but it was more of a struggle than he cared to admit. Especially as the video footage of him hitting Christian with the chair began to play on the TV.

If AJ Styles were the kind of person to cry, he would have most definitely felt the need to bawl his eyes out right then and there.

On the TV, the video footage from _Final Resolution _ended and the camera switched back to Christian, still stood in the ring, looking even angrier now. He put the microphone up to his mouth and began talking again.

"AJ Styles, I know you're watching – so you listen to me, and you listen good. You think that you've won by doing what you did to me last Sunday at _Final Resolution_? Well, you're wrong. I may have lost the chance to win back my title, but you're the one who's the real loser, AJ. Soon, very soon, you'll finally see Kurt Angle's true colours. He'll show you what an asshole he really is. And when you turn around to try and look for some guidance, some help, a way to get out of the ridiculous situation you've put yourself in… guess what, AJ? I won't be there. Let's see if you can learn to live with that."

Christian dropped the mic to the floor, giving the camera a cold stare – as if he was staring at AJ himself – and then made his way out of the ring and up the ramp as his entrance music blasted out through the building.

AJ reached across the couch he was sat on to pick up the television remote control, and used it to switch off the TV. He leaned all the way forward in his seat, letting his head hang down between his legs, a cloud of depression and emptiness seemingly hanging over him as he heard Christian's harsh words resonate through his mind once more.

* * *

**A/N: **What did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Let me know. Also, before any of you ask... yes, this fic is named after the Alter Bridge song of the same name. After I got their album for Xmas, I listened to _Ties That Bind _and the lyrics just reminded me of AJ and his current situation with Kurt/Karen/Christian. Go check out the lyrics for myself and I'm sure you'll see what I mean.

Anyway. Chapter two shall be up soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I may as well put chapter 2 up as well now, so… ta da! Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

After spending ten minutes wallowing in his somewhat-self-inflicted misery, AJ exited his dressing room and proceeded to make his way down the hallway to Kurt's dressing room. He had a meeting with Kurt and Karen to go to, and he didn't want to be late for it.

As he walked, trying to ignore the some confused, some angry glares from various other TNA superstars he passed by, he began to wonder if he had made a mistake. He had loved Christian – and even though Christian never really liked saying it, AJ knew that Christian loved him back. They were closer than they ever dared to let on to anybody else – only Tomko knew just what had been going on with them for all those months. They had been a couple. An actual _couple. _

Not that that was a rare thing amongst him and his fellow wrestlers, since there were a few others who were actually in relationships with each other (AJ was suddenly reminded of a time when he'd accidentally walked in on Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley going at it in the locker room. Even though it had been a good two months since the incident, the mental image of it still made AJ want to be violently ill). But as two of the most popular and most wanted guys on the show, AJ and Christian knew they couldn't admit to their relationship; neither of them wanted to risk losing everything they'd worked so hard for.

But sometimes, they couldn't help but publicly show affection for each other. Especially AJ, who constantly hugged Christian, gazed longingly at him, and even went as far as admitting that he loved him. But to cover their own backs, they began saying they were 'like brothers' and AJ said that Christian was 'like a father figure to him'. They often spent nights joking about how everyone would think of them as having a 'Father & Son' or 'brotherly' type of bond, when really it was more than that. So much more.

And now AJ had no type of bond with Christian to speak of at all. By his own doing, of course. But it still hurt him to think that they would never be that close again. He would never again feel the warm, comforting feeling of Christian's embrace, never again know how good it felt to have Christian's lips brushing against his own…

_Holy cow, would you stop it?! _AJ scolded himself quietly as he found himself outside Kurt's dressing room door. _You needed to break away from Christian. He was holding you back! Kurt's a World champion, an Olympic Gold Medallist. He will take you where you need to be in this business. NOT Christian._

He reached for the door handle and turned it, opening the door to discover Kurt and Karen in the room, talking. Karen was sat on one side of the couch, Kurt on the other. AJ coughed slightly to let them know of his presence, and suddenly two pairs of eyes were on him.

"Jesus Christ, talk about fashionably late," Karen mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Where have you been, AJ?" Kurt enquired, a slight sound of annoyance in the voice of the World champion. "I asked you to meet us here ten minutes ago!"

AJ furrowed his brows, a look of pure confusion on his face. "You said 9 o'clock, I know! And it's…" He glanced at the watch on his wrist. It said ten past nine. "Oh. Sorry."

"Don't let it happen again," Kurt warned, as AJ sat down sheepishly on the sofa.

"Right, now we're all here, we can begin the first official meeting of the Angle Alliance," Kurt said, getting up from the couch to stand in front of Karen and AJ. "I wanna begin by saying – "

"Did you guys see Christian just now?" AJ suddenly spoke, interrupting Kurt. In a split second, four eyes were on him again.

"What are you talking about?" Kurt asked.

"He was just in the ring… talking about _Final Resolution_… talking about me…" AJ's solemn gaze hit the floor, and his voice trailed off.

"Who cares about Christian?" Karen said. She shot Kurt a knowing look.

"AJ, we've been over this enough times already," Kurt began to speak, but then he stopped abruptly. "AJ. Look at me when I'm talking to you."

AJ slowly moved his head back up again, and his eyes met with Kurt's. Kurt, he noted, did not look happy at all.

"Do I look like I care about what Christian has to say?"

"No." AJ spoke so quietly Kurt had to strain to hear him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that."

AJ broke the eye contact with Kurt, and instead began to stare at the wall behind him.

"No," he said again, speaking a little louder, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"You're with the Angle Alliance now, AJ. Not the Coalition. The Coalition is _dead, _do you understand me?"

Surprisingly, those words seemed to hit AJ like a knife through his heart. Kurt was right. The Coalition _was_ dead. And it was his nobody's fault but his own…

"AJ, are you even LISTENING to me?! And I told you, look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"And you wanted that on our team?" Karen asked Kurt incredulously, pointing to AJ.

"Hey, don't look at me! You were the one who was all over him last night, trying to get him to side with us!"

"What?! That was your idea! I know you're not spinning that around onto me now."

As Karen and Kurt carried on with their ridiculous argument, AJ just sat there, frozen. He wasn't even listening to a word they said. He was too lost in his own thoughts. His mind kept replaying the moment he took that chair and hit Christian with it. The harsh sound of steel meeting flesh. The image of Christian, unconscious, collapsing onto the canvas in front of him…

_I DID make the right decision, I DID… _Repeating those words over and over to himself still seemed to work, but only just barely. And AJ was finding it more and more difficult to ignore that nagging voice in the back of his mind.

_No, you didn't…_

* * *

**A/N: **Hopefully that wasn't too terrible. I always thought that with Kurt and Karen it was like, they're nice to AJ in public and when they think the cameras are on them, and then when they're alone that's when their true colours come out. Make sense? Oh, and I hope the line about Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley made you guys giggle. It made me giggle when I wrote it. 

Chapter Three shall be up as soon as I get it completed. I'm still working on that one, you see. Hopefully it should be done before the end of next week...


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Oooh, look! It's chapter three! So this chapter was actually rather difficult to write and I didn't even think I'd get it done. Let's just say, thank god for last week's episode of TNA iMPACT. That scene where AJ went to Tomko and asked him for advice helped me a hell of a lot. In fact, you'll probably recognise in this chapter that there are a couple lines from that scene in here.

Oh, and by the way. I'm in the middle of moving house, which means the next chapter probably won't be for a good couple weeks now. Sorry, folks! I'll try and get things all worked out as soon as possible, I promise!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

The night had passed in the blink of an eye and now Tomko was in his hotel room, watching some TV. He was still in the clothes he'd been wearing all day – black sleeveless shirt and sweatpants – but he couldn't be bothered to go change for bed yet. He hadn't had a match, and had spent most of the night just hanging around alone backstage while the show went on… but for some reason, he was still inexplicably tired.

Mentally, of course, not physically.

He'd heard Christian's little rant about AJ and what had happened at _Final Resolution. _And even though he did feel a tiny bit of sympathy for the guy, he had been hoping that Christian would… well, to be quite frank, suck it up and take it like a man, and stop whining. But Tomko knew Christian too well, and one thing he did know for sure was that Christian wouldn't let this all be over just yet.

And then of course, there was Kurt. And Karen. And AJ. The dysfunctional little 'clique' now known as the Angle Alliance.

Tomko hadn't spoken to AJ since their tag team match against Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash the night before, and around that time AJ had said he still was unsure of who to side with. So, Tomko wondered, how did AJ end up stabbing Christian in the back? AJ loved Christian more than anyone… so why would he abandon him?

Tomko himself was just glad that he didn't have to be, somewhat literally, in the middle of it all anymore. But he knew he wasn't able to completely avoid things, especially since he was AJ's tag team partner. They were champions, and more importantly, they were friends. So he figured that he hadn't heard the last of this whole situation. AJ would probably tell him all about what was going on, looking for advice and guidance like he always did from Tomko. So Tomko would worry for his friend. And that equalled more stress for him.

_Oh, joy._

Beside him, his mobile phone began to bleep. Turning his head away from the TV, he reached for the phone and flipped the top open. _1 New Message. _He pressed a button, and the message popped up on the small screen of the phone.

**Are you sleeping? **was all the message said. Tomko chuckled to himself; he recognised the number as AJ's. And he'd seen those three words in a message from AJ before. He knew what it meant. It meant AJ wanted to come and see him. It meant AJ needed to talk.

"I'm getting too old for this," he mumbled jokingly to himself, flipping the top of his phone back down. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and stood up, groaning slightly at having to move his poor aching limbs. Making his way across the room to the hotel room door, he turned the key in the door around to unlock it, and then re-opened his phone again, pressing the buttons to get to the 'Create A New Message' page.

**No. Door's open, **He typed into his phone, then selected AJ's number and pressed the send button. He went back over to the bed and sat back down, getting comfortable again. He put his phone on the bedside table, and turned his attention back to the television screen. Not that he would have his attention on it for long though, of course.

No less than two minutes later, and he heard a knock at the door. He reached for the television remote (which was placed on the bedside table next to his phone and a lamp) and used it to switch the TV off.

"Come in," he called out.

"Are you sure?" AJ called back from the other side of the door.

Tomko rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure."

"You sure you're not, you know, naked or anything?"

"Why would I be naked, AJ?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Just get in here!!"

Tomko heard the sound of the door opening and then closing again. A few moments later, AJ was stood in front of the bed, hair and clothes dishevelled, and a worried look in his eyes.

"What's the problem now?" AJ was about to reply, but Tomko kept talking. "What, have you finally figured out that being best buddies with Kurt and Karen isn't all it's cracked up to be? Did it finally get through that thick skull of yours? Or did –"

"Woah, woah, hey! Jeez, who rattled your cage?" AJ took a few steps forward, climbing onto the bed to sit next to Tomko.

Tomko folded his arms, and gave AJ a sideways glance, as if to say, "You did."

There was suddenly an awkward silence between them. AJ stared out in front of him, racking his brains to think of a conversation starter.

"So… you heard from Christian?" he finally said.

"You've known me long enough to know I don't like small talk," Tomko replied, "Now what's the problem?"

"I don't have a problem, just thought I'd come hang out with my buddy Tomko – "

"No."

"No?"

"Not buying it, AJ."

Another silence.

"Do you think if I just apologise to him, everything will work itself out?" AJ asked, turning to look at Tomko.

Tomko sighed loudly, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. If he didn't love AJ so much, he would've most likely felt the need to punch him right then for being such a dumbass. "Oh yeah, I'm sure if you just say sorry, Christian will forgive you for, you know, splitting up the Coalition, whacking him in the head with a chair, costing him his chance at the World title and then siding with the one guy he hates most, " he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

AJ shot his tag team partner a dirty look, not appreciating the sarcasm at all. If he wanted it to be turned into some kind of joke, he would have gladly gone and asked somebody else. Like Shark Boy, who spent his days happily quoting Stone Cold Steve Austin. Or Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt. Yeah right. Like hearing the worst Randy Savage impersonation _ever _and then having rose petals chucked into his face was going to help. He needed proper advice from a friend, not cruel comments and smartass sarcastic remarks.

_Right, one last chance, _AJ thought to himself. _And if he does it again, I'm going to go find someone else to talk to. I don't care who it is. Even if it has to be someone like Chris Sabin! Must remember not to mention Guitar Hero 3, though. Or 311. …oh god, Tomko, please be serious this time!_

"Look, I need some advice, and you've been right on more than one occasion, we all know that – "

"Absolutely," Tomko interrupted, sounding dead serious.

_Well, can't argue with that. _"…So in my case, what do I do?"

Tomko carefully studied the face of his tag team partner, not quite knowing what to say. He truly was at a crossroads. He promised himself that for the sake of his own happiness, he was no longer going to let himself be involved in all this. But then again, Christian and AJ _were_ his best friends. They deserved to be happy as much as he did.

"Are you happy with Kurt and Karen?" he asked outright. AJ stared back at Tomko, blinking, slightly startled by his bluntness.

_Are you happy with Kurt and Karen?_

AJ began to wonder to himself. He was aligned with Kurt Angle. Kurt was the World Heavyweight Champion. Kurt was practically the top dog in TNA. With Kurt on his side, AJ could do just about anything. He could be on top of the world. His career could end up being the best it had been in a very long time.

Also, he was practically living the high life now he was with the Angles. All the limo rides, the private jets, the expensive clothes, food and drink. He had his very own crown! He was a prince! Prince AJ!

…They were just material things, AJ knew that. But material things were enough to make people happy. Right?

And then AJ thought about it again. The harsh reality was, things weren't as great as they seemed to be. The lavish lifestyle, all the money and all the expensive things – it was just one big cover. In public, Kurt would constantly tell people about how AJ was his protégé, how he loved the guy. In private, Kurt barely acknowledged AJ. Most of the time, he only talked to AJ when he was either insulting him or barking orders at him. In public, Karen would fawn on AJ, be all over him, telling him how amazing he was. In private, Karen would treat him like he was nothing.

The entire thing was just a façade, and deep down AJ knew that. This whole situation was the most unstable thing he'd ever been unfortunate enough to be a part of, and deep down he knew that eventually, it was all going to fall apart. Kurt and Karen would betray him. That was inevitable. They only cared about themselves. Friends and allies didn't matter. All that mattered to them was that World title, and finding the best way to keep it safely around Kurt's waist. To the Angles, AJ was simply some kind of barrier between them and the hoards of other men in the locker room who wanted nothing more than to kick Kurt's ass and take his place at the top of the food chain. If AJ wanted out, it wouldn't matter. They would just find somebody else. They would just recruit another person, just as naïve and foolish as AJ. AJ was not special to them. He was just there because it was convenient.

His heart suddenly ached for Christian. Christian had not been like the Angles. Christian didn't want AJ around just because it was convenient. He had wanted AJ around because _he loved him._

AJ's mind suddenly replayed the moment at _Final Resolution. _When Christian, thinking that AJ had chosen him over Kurt, pulled his lover into a huge embrace. And just a few moments later, AJ stupidly grabbed that steel chair, and struck that fatal blow…

"No." AJ finally responded to Tomko's question, his voice beginning to crack. The lump forming in his throat stopped him from saying any other words. He would not cry – because AJ Styles doesn't ever cry – but he realised that he honestly couldn't remember the last time he had been that close to tears.

"It's time for AJ to start doing what AJ wants to do," Tomko said, placing a firm hand on AJ's shoulder. "Tomko's doing what Tomko wants to do! It's pretty much that simple."

AJ nodded, not speaking another word. Instead, he simply leaned toward Tomko and pulled him into a huge hug. Tomko chuckled, a little hesitant at first but then deciding to put his arms around AJ, hugging him back tightly.

"You'll be alright, bro," Tomko whispered into AJ's ear, "I promise you. Everything's gonna work out."

And for the first time, AJ believed that it would.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry for taking so long to update! We moved into our new house a couple weeks ago but only got internet back yesterday! Gah, having no internet for that long drove me crazy, I tell ya.

Before we begin this chapter, can I just say... WHAT THE HELL WAS WITH TOMKO?! Betraying Christian! My heart pretty much broke watching _Against All Odds_. And then last week's iMPACT, with AJ marrying Karen... oh dear god. I don't even know anymore. Sigh.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this next chapter, guys.

* * *

"_It's time for AJ to start doing what AJ wants to do. Tomko's doing what Tomko wants to do! It's pretty much that simple."_

The wise advice that Tomko had given to AJ was still repeating itself over and over again in AJ's mind, even though it had been a whole three days since they'd had their rather deep and meaningful conversation in Tomko's hotel room. Now in his own hotel room, as he stood in front of the long mirror doing up the buttons of his shirt, AJ's hands would not stop trembling, and he was frustrated that the many little voices in his head would not shut up.

_You can tell them. Just explain. They will understand._

…_Are you kidding? If you do this, you're going to regret it, and you know they'll make you pay._

"Would you just shut up?!" AJ screamed angrily at his reflection in the mirror, breaking the calm silence that seemed to be everywhere except for in AJ's own head. "I can do this! I'm just gonna sit them down, and tell them that I can't do this anymore. It'll all be fine. Stop worrying, and just breathe." He drew in a long, deep breath and then exhaled, suddenly realising the fact that he had just been talking to himself.

_Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know._

_Oh, shut up._

He finally did up the top button on his shirt, and then admired himself in the mirror for a second. He _did _look pretty good. In a crisp new black Hugo Boss shirt (which had been a gift for him from Karen), a pair of suit trousers and smart new shiny black lace-up shoes to match. He was going out to dinner with Kurt and Karen and so naturally, he had to look his best.

"There's something missing," he said, still waffling on to himself, but not really caring anymore. "Ah, I know!" He turned to look over at the dressing table behind him, and smiled when he saw what was on it. The one thing that was missing to make his outfit complete. He walked over and picked it up, before making his way back over to the mirror. "The Prince of Phenomenal can't go anywhere without his crown!" He grinned, placing the sparkling gold crown on the top of his head, tilting it slightly to the left and then nodding approvingly.

Then he glanced down at the watch on his wrist - another gift from Karen - to check the time. Quarter to ten. Kurt and Karen had told him to meet them outside in their limo at ten o'clock.

"Oh man, they're gonna kill me if I'm late meeting them again," he said urgently, turning back to the dressing table once more to grab his hotel room key, before rushing out the door and over to the elevator doors, pressing the button to call it up.

As he stood there, waiting, his mind began to wander again. _Tomko was right… wasn't he? _It was some pretty good advice that Tomko had given his tag team partner, but AJ wasn't sure if it was right for him. Tomko could be his own man, that was fine; the transition seemed to be easy for him. But AJ realised that he had been reliant on other people for so long that he couldn't quite remember how it felt to stand on his own two feet, play on a one-man team, fight for himself and nobody else. It felt like forever ago when he was known as AJ Styles, one of the pioneers of the X Division, a multiple-time Triple Crown champion who earned respect from every man on the TNA roster he'd ever battled with. Every night he stepped into that six-sided ring, the fans watching would cheer for him, regardless of whether they hated or loved him, simply because they _respected _him.

Now all they seemed to do was laugh at his expense, and chant cruel things like "Princess AJ", or "Gobble, gobble" (referring to the embarrassing time when he had to dress up as a turkey). He wanted their respect back, and he knew he couldn't earn it if he stayed in his current situation. The job title of Kurt Angle's lackey and Karen Angle's part-time sex toy was not going to get him anywhere with anybody.

_Especially not with Christian._

That was another thing that AJ knew he had to try to deal with. His lingering feelings for the man he'd betrayed; the man that for so long, he considered to be his partner, his best friend, his lover… and his _soulmate. _What AJ had done to Christian was unforgivable. Christian was stubborn enough already, so earning his trust back after that was pretty much going to be impossible.

The elevator doors opened, and AJ stepped inside it. They closed behind him, and he looked himself over again in the mirror on the back wall of the elevator, as it began to move downwards. He sighed loudly, reaching up on his head to fix his crown. Now that Christian was on his mind again, his mood had suddenly taken a down turn.

"I'm sorry," he muttered solemnly, still looking at his reflection. But he wasn't seeing himself. He was imagining Christian was there, standing in front of him. The imaginary Christian seemed to smile back at him, and then AJ closed his eyes, trying hard to remember just what it felt like to have Christian's arms wrapped around him, embracing him warmly, lovingly…

AJ suddenly heard a 'ding' sound, and his eyes slammed open again. The imaginary Christian was gone. He spun around. The elevator doors were open.

"Ground floor," said the female automated voice in the elevator. AJ took a few steps forward, glancing around the huge hotel lobby, surprised but relieved to find that it was virtually empty apart from the hotel staff behind the front desk. Usually, somebody would tip off the fans about which hotel AJ was staying in, and that meant he would be greeted by tons of people asking for an autograph or a picture. He was thankful that tonight was different.

AJ's eyes suddenly caught the sight of a limousine pulling up outside, and he could've sworn he felt his stomach flip over.

_I'm not ready for this. I can't do it!_

_For god's sake, would you grow up? You have to do this. You have no choice._

_You know, it is only ten minutes to ten. Maybe that's not them. Maybe it's a different limo._

His thoughts were silenced momentarily as he walked toward the hotel entrance to get a better look. The limo door swung open, and out stepped a person. A female. An attractive dark-haired female in a short black dress and high heels…

Karen.

On cue, the little voices in his head began taunting him again.

_You can't do this. Boy, are you screwed! Would you look at her? Look at her, AJ. You don't want to give that up…_

_AJ, you have to be a man about this. And you can't give up Karen because SHE WAS NEVER YOURS! She doesn't care about you. Neither does Kurt. You have to tell them…_

_You're not doing this, AJ._

_Yes, you are._

_No, you're not!_

"AJ, come on, would you?" Karen called to him, sounding frustrated. "Some of us would like to go to dinner!"

AJ took a deep breath, and then walked outside and over to the limo, getting into it after Karen and shutting the door behind him. Kurt was also sat inside, wearing his best suit and a red bow tie which, AJ noted, looked slightly ridiculous. But he decided not to mention it. _Sure, tell your boss you're leaving him, and then insult his attire. Nice idea, dumbass._

"AJ, finally, you decide to come out of your hotel room - " Kurt began to speak, but AJ cut him off.

"Wait a minute, I got here before you! I was waiting in the lobby! I saw your limo pull up!" AJ said incredulously.

Kurt sighed, waving AJ's comment off with his hand. "Yeah, whatever - look, I talked to Jim Cornette earlier today. I pulled a few strings, you know, said all the right things, and got him to agree to a rematch, a no-disqualification match, between me and Christian Cage at the next PPV, _Against All Odds._"

AJ raised an eyebrow. "But why would you want that?"

"Because - and here's the best part - he's agreed to make you special guest referee! Isn't that great?" Kurt and Karen looked at each other, huge beaming smiles on both their faces. But the gloomy expression on AJ's face didn't change, and Kurt somehow noticed it. "What's the problem, AJ? Isn't it great news?"

"Well, yeah…" AJ's voice trailed off. He glanced down at the limousine's carpeted floor. He didn't know how to put his thoughts into words. He didn't even know if he _could._

_You have to do this, AJ… you HAVE to!_

Kurt furrowed his brows, the smile disappearing from his face as he studied AJ carefully. "What the hell is wrong with you tonight?"

AJ didn't know if he could bring himself to even make eye-contact with Kurt now.

_Come on, AJ. Say it. You'll feel better once it's out in the open._

_No! AJ! Just shut up! Look at where you are! In a limo, going to dinner at a fabulous restaurant, with the World Heavyweight champion and his gorgeous wife! What more do you need?_

…_You need Christian, AJ. If you do this, maybe you'd have a shot at getting him back. _

AJ's head shot up and he stared right at Kurt. He opened his mouth to speak, but his nervousness got the better of him, and he felt like he had suddenly been muted.

_JUST DO IT. NOW._

"I…"

"What?" Kurt asked, confused.

_SAY IT!!_

"I don't think I can be a part of the Angle Alliance anymore! There, I said it!" AJ finally blurted out.

Then there was silence. Kurt slowly turned his head to look at Karen, and now they both had shocked expressions on their faces - a far cry from just a few moments earlier, when they'd been all smiling and ecstatic.

"Driver, stop the car," Kurt shouted out to the limo driver, though he did not turn to look at him. The limo driver nodded, and the car came to a screeching halt. AJ had that sick nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach again. He'd finally got what he wanted to say out in the open, hoping it would make him feel better. But now he only just felt worse.

"What do you mean, you can't be a part of the Angle Alliance anymore?" Kurt asked, and AJ was surprised at how calm he sounded.

"I- I'm sorry, you guys, but this just isn't for me anymore, I think I made a mistake, I…" AJ was forced to leave yet another sentence of his unfinished, as Karen scooted up closer to him, pressing a finger to his lips.

"Shhhh, AJ," she spoke, almost in a whisper, using her free hand to undo the top button of AJ's shirt. "You don't want to leave us. You're a star, AJ. _My_ star. What would I do without you?"

Karen leaned in closer to him, but on instinct, AJ moved away.

_Don't let her do this to you, AJ. She's playing you again. That's what she was doing all along. DON'T let her do it._

"AJ, don't be silly," Karen said softly, smiling at him, "Don't worry. You don't need to pretend to act so shy around me. I explained everything to Kurt."

_Yeah right. AJ, you're stupid if you fall for that. You've gotta be blind if you can't see that this was probably Kurt's plan from the beginning. Whoring out his wife. Don't you dare fall for it…_

Karen moved to get closer to AJ, but he scooted away from her again, swallowing hard when he felt his back bang against the limo door. _Damn it. _Now she had him practically cornered.

"Come on, it's okay," she said, climbing into AJ's lap. Putting an arm round his shoulders to steady herself, she leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on the back of his neck. AJ's eyes fluttered shut, and he shivered, beginning to succumb to the gentle feeling of her lips on him…

_AJ STYLES! SNAP OUT OF IT! She's playing you, can't you see it? Open your eyes right now! Think of Christian! Don't you want him back? _

At the thought of Christian, AJ's eyes snapped open in a second.

_Think about what you did to Christian. You betrayed him. And now you're betraying him even more by letting this woman do this to you…_

…_oh, but come on man! Look! You've got the most beautiful woman in the world writhing around on your lap! You wanna swap that for Christian, you mental case?!_

_CHRISTIAN LOVED YOU. AND YOU BETRAYED HIM. AND YOU'RE STILL BETRAYING HIM! Finish this now, AJ. If Christian ever meant anything to you, you would stop this. RIGHT NOW._

In a split second, AJ sat up straight, shoving Karen away. She toppled off him and landed with a thump onto the floor.

"I told you two, no!" AJ yelled, suddenly angry. He caught sight of his hands, and saw that they were trembling with nervousness, but he tried to ignore it. The thought of Christian was driving him on, making him braver, helping him to ignore all the negative thoughts and ideas that were threatening to form in his head. "I want out! I want out of this right now!"

Suddenly, Karen got up from the floor and lunged towards him, her right hand meeting with the side of his face. AJ cried out in pain - she'd slapped him so hard that it almost burned his cheek.

She reached behind him, and AJ could feel behind his back that she was fiddling with the door handle. She tugged at it, and suddenly the door swung open. AJ quickly clung to one of the seat's head-rests to stop him from falling backwards - but then, after giving him a cold, hard glare, Karen slammed both her hands hard against AJ's chest, and he lost his grip, tumbling backwards out of the car and onto the pavement. Karen pulled the limo door shut again, and AJ heard Kurt yell, "Driver, let's go!"

As the limo began to pull away, AJ saw Kurt pop his head out of the window. He looked furious.

"You're going to regret this, Styles!" he practically screamed, "Just you wait! I'm going to make your life a living fucking hell!"

AJ got up from the pavement, holding his hand up to his cheek, opening and closing his mouth a few times to try and get some feeling back in his face. He watched the limo drive away, until it turned left at the bottom of the street. When it was finally out of sight, AJ let out a long sigh.

He was well and truly screwed now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Just thought I'd take this time to renew my disclaimer. As you know, I don't own AJ, Christian, or anybody else mentioned in this fic. (Except Ted, the bar man in this chapter. I made him up, tee hee.) I'm also not receiving any profit from writing this. And also, I don't claim any of these happenings to be true, it's all just fiction. Unfortunately.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

AJ stumbled into the first bar he could find, mind still buzzing, and the left side of his face still sore from the hard slap he'd received earlier from Karen. He didn't drink that often - but the nights' events had left him dazed and confused, and he knew the best remedy was to chug down beer after beer until he could barely remember what his own name was.

The bar he found himself in had that somewhat traditional American bar theme - the rock'n'roll music playing on the jukebox, the TV up in the corner, muted but switched to a sports channel. Then there were the bikers playing a game of pool, and the bar man who sounded slightly like Cowboy James Storm when he spoke. AJ liked that._ A perfect place_, he thought, _for me to drown my sorrows tonight._

As he stepped up to order himself a drink, he didn't even notice the tall blond man, sat on a bar stool next to him, looking as though he was trying to find some comfort at the bottom of a beer bottle…

"What'll it be?" the bar man asked gruffly.

"Huh? Oh, I'll just have a Budweiser," AJ replied, and his eyes wandered to the TV screen. There was some football game on; and since he didn't watch much football, he didn't really care for it.

The bar man put the bottle down in front of AJ, and AJ looked back at him, fumbling in his pocket to find some money and then handed it to the guy - who took the money, and then turned his attention to the blond man on AJ's right.

"Hey Cage, want another?"

"Oh, yeah, cheers Ted," the blond man replied, and AJ froze. He recognised that voice. Slowly, he moved his head to the right. His eyes went wide, his jaw dropped. _No way, it couldn't be…_

"C-Christian?"

The blond man turned in his seat and looked at AJ, and AJ was sure that his heart had just skipped a beat. It _was _Christian. He looked completely drunk and out of it. He had dark circles round his eyes as if he'd been surviving on no sleep at all. His eyes themselves, once beautiful, bright, and shining, had lost their spark. They looked sad. _He _looked sad, and lost. He didn't look like the old Christian anymore.

AJ had never felt guiltier in his entire life.

"Christian… it's me, AJ. AJ Styles?" he stuttered nervously, his voice quiet and timid.

Christian stared blankly at AJ for a moment, as if trying to work out just who he was. Then, like a light bulb had suddenly switched on above his head, the confused look on his face turned to one of complete rage.

"AJ Styles, you son of a bitch," he snarled, and then in one swift panther-like movement, he leaped up off his seat and onto AJ. AJ fell to the floor with Christian on top of him, punching him repeatedly as AJ covered his face with his hands, trying to defend himself. He would not fight back. The thought of hurting Christian more than he already had done was simply too much to bear.

The bar man rushed over, along with two of the bikers who had been at the pool table, and managed to pull Christian away. Christian kept shouting and screaming, calling AJ so many different things that even the other people in the bar were shocked at his disgusting language. AJ himself was still on the ground, curled into a ball like a little frightened hedgehog, his back slightly sore from the way he'd slammed onto the hard wood floor when Christian practically speared him down.

"Cage, you know better than to start fights in here!" the bar man said angrily, as the other two men held Christian back. "If you wanna fight, take it out into the street where that kinda crap belongs!"

With that, he turned away from Christian, and proceeded to help AJ up off the floor. AJ got to his feet, stumbling a little at first but then maintaining his balance.

"Man, what did you do to make him so mad at ya?"

AJ simply shook his head, unable to come up with a decent response. His gaze met the floor. He knew not to look at Christian - he could almost feel Christian's furious glare piercing through him.

"I don't need this bullshit right now," Christian said, yanking himself out of the grasp of the two bikers who were clutching onto each of his arms. He took a few tentative steps forward, before stopping in front of AJ.

"Look at me, AJ," he hissed, their faces suddenly so close to each other that AJ could smell the alcohol on Christian's breath. "Look at me. Now."

Reluctantly, AJ glanced up, and his frightened eyes met Christian's. They stared at each other for a second. AJ attempted to give Christian his best pleading look, and Christian let out a laugh. A cold, cruel, wicked laugh. And then he spat in AJ's face, before shoving him aside and staggering out the door, into the street.

AJ stood there, wiping the saliva from his face, feeling dejected and broken hearted but knowing that he certainly deserved it. He had hurt Christian in the worst way possible, and Christian had the right to some form of revenge.

Still, the poor guy wasn't exactly having the best of nights. _I got my face nearly slapped off by Karen, Kurt's apparently going to slaughter me the next time he sees me, and Christian just beat me up and spat in my face. Dear God, tell me it can't get any worse, _he thought to himself, as he sauntered slowly out the bar door. He knew there was no point staying in there any longer. Everybody was staring at him, like they were sure he was the one who disturbed the peace. Which wasn't exactly true.

Finding himself outside again, he felt a sudden chill come over him, and he cursed himself silently for not bringing a jacket out with him. His hotel was certainly a good twenty blocks away, so he couldn't exactly walk back.

_Great. So, apparently it can get worse._

He turned to his right, ready to start making the long journey back to his hotel, when something - or rather, someone, caught his eye. It was Christian, walking - in what AJ assumed was the drunk man's version of a straight line - back to his car. Fighting back the sudden urge to laugh at how drunk Christian obviously was, that urge went away when a serious realisation hit him.

_I don't care if he tries to beat me up again, there's no way I'm letting him drive that car. _"Christian! Hey, Christian, wait up!" AJ called out, walking speedily toward his former partner, who was now stood in front of his car, attempting to unlock the door. Finally arriving behind Christian, AJ grabbed his arm, but Christian turned around, slapping it away.

"You stay the fuck away from me, Styles," Christian slurred, trying to push AJ away but missing him completely. AJ had to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing. Christian may have been mad at him, but he sure as hell was funny drunk.

"Christian, you can't drive like this," AJ told him seriously, "You're drunk."

"You're drunk, you're drunk, bla bla," Christian said, mocking AJ. He rolled his eyes, and then shook the car keys in front of AJ's face. "I was drunk last night. I drove home last night."

"You mean, to your hotel room," AJ corrected him.

Christian raised an eyebrow. "You what?"

"You mean, you drove to your hotel, not home. You live in Tampa, Christian."

"I drove to Tampa?"

AJ sighed. "No, you didn't."

"I didn't drive to Tampa. I wouldn't have enough gas," Christian said, ignoring AJ's last comment.

AJ decided that this conversation - like most conversations with ridiculously drunk people - was going nowhere, and reached to snatch the car keys out of Christian's hand. "You can't drive like this, Christian. I'll drive you, if you want me to."

Christian snatched the car keys back, and moved closer to AJ. "I don't want you to do fucking anything for me, Styles, you worthless piece of shit," he spat angrily, shoving AJ away. Out of the blue, AJ stepped toward Christian, pushing the older man back with such a force that his back slammed against the side of his car. They stood face-to-face, glaring, so close that the tip of their noses were touching each other.

"I hate you," Christian said, his voice laced with anger and resentment.

Hearing those three words come out of Christian's mouth should've been something AJ was expecting, but it still cut him like a knife. Christian _hated _him.

"I know," was all AJ could manage to say. He went to take a step back, but suddenly Christian wrapped his arm round the back of AJ's neck, and pulled him closer. Without another thought or word, he pressed his lips to AJ's.

_Wait a minute… what?!_

For the first few seconds, AJ didn't do a thing. He just stood there, in complete disbelief.

_If I'm dreaming, please don't let me wake up yet._

And then he closed his eyes, finally getting into the moment. The moment that he'd been craving for, dreaming about for days. Christian's free arm slipped around AJ's waist and pulled the younger man's body close to his. Christian opened his mouth and AJ slid his tongue inside, deepening the kiss. AJ noted that Christian's mouth tasted strongly like alcohol, but it didn't really bother him. At that moment, nothing seemed to bother him. The whole world seemed to disappear. AJ felt as though everything was perfect, back to normal again. Christian may have said he hated him, but the kiss changed it all. AJ felt like the happiest person in the world right then and there.

A few moments later, AJ slowly pulled away, and both men re-opened their eyes again to stare at each other. AJ was pleased to see that Christian didn't seem to look angry anymore. He was smirking, and had a look in his eyes that AJ knew very well. A look of pure lust.

"I still hate you," Christian muttered, his breathing slightly uneven, "But you just made me remember how much I also miss you."

AJ was taken aback. He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say.

_Christian misses me._

Before he could begin to muster a reply, he felt Christian place the car key into his hands. Then Christian pushed him away, and opened the car door. "You're driving, Styles," he said, "So get in." He got into the car, shutting the door behind him.

AJ threw the keys up in the air and then caught them, a huge grin on his face. His night, it seemed, had finally taken an unexpected turn for the better.

* * *

**A/N: **Just letting you guys know that this will be the next chapter for a short while. I've got a lot of stuff going on at the moment, family and work-related, which means I won't have as much time to write as I did before. I'll try and get it done as soon as I can, though! I promise! Love you all! 


End file.
